[ref. s00100422] Chaplain - NHS

Choose Well - Choose WWL

Job overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Band 6 Chaplain to join the team at Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

The role is full-time 37.5 hours per week (On Call Rota Participation is required).

The successful applicant will provide spiritual, pastoral and religious care to meet the needs of patients, staff, students and visitors of Wrightington, Wigan & Leigh NHS FT. The successful post holder would also be required to Deputise the Chaplaincy and Spiritual Care team.

Please note should a high volume of applications be received this vacancy may close early.

Main duties of the job

To provide, as part of the chaplaincy and spiritual care team, the pastoral, spiritual and religious needs of patients, visitors, carers and staff of WWL NHS FT respecting their diversity and the equality of the individual.

To uphold and act in accordance with Trust policies, NHS chaplaincy guidance and UKBHC code of conduct.

Follow protocols and procedures for the recording of relevant information on the assessment of spiritual needs and the delivery of spiritual care in the patient information systems.

Awareness of their role within the team and purpose in the trust’s major incident plan.

To support the manager in leading the chaplaincy and spiritual care team, support and coordinate the team and Chaplaincy volunteers.

Working for our organisation

We have a recognised track record in staff engagement and living our values.

• People at the Heart
• Listen and Involve
• Kind and Respectful
• ONE Team

WWL are committed to placing the patient at the heart of everything we do, and in the provision of safe, effective care that acknowledges and ensures dignity. We are seeking to recruit people who share our values and beliefs.

At WWL we value the benefits a rich and diverse workforce brings to our community and therefore welcome applications from all sections of society.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

To share in general visiting on the wards and departments to provide pastoral, spiritual and religious care to patients, relatives and staff of all faiths, beliefs and none.

To support the Manager when dealing with complex issues as they might arise within the chaplaincy and spiritual care team.

Conduct contract funerals.

Provide support for staff and schedule time for staff as service users. Assessing and respond to staff pastoral and spiritual needs (individual or collective).

To work sensitively and collaboratively with the patient’s own Priest/Minister/Faith Leader to meet the holistic pastoral needs of their parishioners.

Capability to deal with complex issues both systematically and creatively, make sound judgments, and take personal responsibility and initiative.

Workload prioritisation, time management and the capacity to incorporate new challenges, and to support managing projects.

Fluent and effective communicator in speech and writing.

Demonstrable communication skills to communicate with individuals in a variety of complex encounters.

Self-assured, friendly and professional approach to working with colleagues, the capability to work independently and collaboratively.

Participate in a range of cases supporting the manager to deliver effective pastoral and spiritual care.

Participate in reflective practice with a range of groups.

Capability to deal with persons requiring mental health wellbeing support and referral to the appropriate resources to aid management.

Communication with healthcare professionals in multidisciplinary discussions.

Communicating with patients and their families/carers in complex and often sensitive situations.

To assist in preparing and conducting services of public worship, to facilitate private prayer as appropriate and to administer religious rites appropriate to the person's faith group or belief and those of no belief.

To participate in the provision of 24hr chaplaincy on call cover, assist in team rosters and planning of team resources to provide chaplaincy and spiritual care support.

To support the chaplaincy and spiritual care team including volunteers in the performance of their duties, fostering productive and positive working relationships.

To build and maintain effective relationships with clinical teams and departments and wards within the trust.

Participate projects and operational groups as directed by the Chaplaincy & Spiritual Care Manager.

Contribute to internal education and training programmes and internal/external voluntary and healthcare groups.

Assist in introducing what healthcare chaplaincy is to another team/ service within WWL NHS FT.

Participate in Induction programmes for new trust staff.

Participate in education and training sessions as part of the trust education and training programmes.

Assist in preparing education and training materials for use by others to support the management of the chaplaincy provision to education and training.

Full time 37.5hrs

Ability to travel independently across Trust sites in accordance with organisation policies and service need.

Ability to attend an urgent on-call referral.

Person specification

Qualifications

• Accreditation/ licensing with authority to practice as a religion or belief (including non-religious beliefs) leader/ representative and/or pastoral worker.
• Accredited training/qualification (normally degree level or higher) in theology, Chaplaincy& Spiritual Care, pastoral care or other relevant discipline.

• Further counselling skills supported by appropriate training.

Experience

• • Substantial, recent pastoral experience in local faith/belief community setting or equivalent
• • Significant experience of healthcare chaplaincy OR of providing spiritual and pastoral care in a non-religious setting.
• • Sufficient experience and understanding of spiritual, religious and pastoral care in the healthcare chaplaincy setting to advise colleagues on spiritual and religious care, and ethical and care issues
• • Awareness of professional and legal requirements relating to safe and effective practice working with service users and colleagues e.g. Safeguarding
• • Able to support and facilitate sacraments/rites and spiritual needs according to service user's own faith/belief group.

• • Experience of collaborative working in a multi-faith/belief setting.
• • Understanding of current issues in the NHS.

Skills

• • Good communication skills to provide pastoral care to individuals in a variety of complex pastoral encounters e.g. traumatic events, breaking bad news.
• • Able to share and record information within the healthcare team.
• • Experience of working within data protection and information governance policies
• • Ability to work collaboratively in a team setting, with agreed protocols and procedures
• • Experience of providing education, training and supervision in a workplace setting.
• • Able to contribute to ethical discussion and support ethical reflection
• • Able to evaluate and incorporate relevant research findings into practice.
• • Effective in crisis work. e.g. responding appropriately to patients and relatives following traumatic injury or death, or in the event of a major incident.
• • Experience of reflection on professional and pastoral practice both individually and within a team
• • Proficient in performance of administrative processes.eg. keeping accurate records. Computer literate and familiar with Microsoft Office (i.e.. Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint and Publisher and Access).
• • Good time management: Ability to prioritise conflicting tasks and demands, Ability to evidence autonomous working, Ability to manage a pastoral caseload
• • Car driver with current licence or ability to reach hospital sites within agreed response time frame when on-call, and travel between sites during working hours as service needs demand

Additional

• • Able to participate in the departmental on-call provision, including overnight on-call. Must be able to attend any of hospital sites in response to urgent callouts within 1 hour
• • Committed to working collaboratively in ecumenical and multi-faith/belief team and setting
• • Work to maintain Chaplaincy Standards (NHS Chaplaincy Guidelines 2023: Promoting Excellence in Pastoral, Spiritual & Religious Care) and compliant with UK Board of Healthcare Chaplaincy Code of Conduct for Healthcare Chaplains 2014.
• • Committed to continued personal and professional development and learning.

• • Eligible for registration with the UK Board of Healthcare Chaplains.

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Recruitment Information for Candidates

Our Trust prefers candidates to submit applications online. Please contact the Recruitment Team on 01942 244000 if you have difficulty applying online.

The Trust reserves the right to close adverts earlier than the stated closing date if there is a high volume of applications.

We endeavour to inform all applicants of the outcome of their application by email or SMS text message.

Guidance on Completing Your Application

Applications are scored against the person specification, therefore we recommend that you use the supporting information section of your application form to demonstrate how you meet the essential and desirable criteria for the role, providing illustrative examples where possible.

On-Call

Please note that some roles may require you to participate in an on-call rota, if the role is predominantly operational.

Continuous Service

WWL has signed up to the Greater Manchester Continuous Service Commitment. and will recognise your continuous or ‘unbroken’ service in any Greater Manchester Local Authority or NHS organisation, Transport for Greater Manchester, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service or Greater Manchester Combined Authority; giving you access to our service-related benefits.